


Niceties

by yeaka



Category: Travelers (TV)
Genre: Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 23:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21065150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Philip appreciates Marcy.





	Niceties

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Travelers or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

MacLaren leads the others out after the mission briefing. He’s swift and punctual, knowing he has a wife to go home to and a partner to meet at work—his _other_ work, the one that isn’t quite so important but still integral to their orders. Carly’s right behind him, like she always is; she has just as much to do, if not more, and Philip can only wonder if her child’s with the babysitter or sitting at home in an empty house. Trevor’s next, not quite as fast as he should be. He has school to attend—something that still vaguely amuses Philip—but he’s patient and calm no matter the circumstance. Marcy has David. She has a much better home than Philip’s pathetic warehouse, and maybe she should be the first to leave: she has a great place to return to. But she lingers behind until the others have all gone. 

Then she pauses, almost at the door, like she’s just remembered something. She wanders back to him. Philip’s still standing there, because he tries not to go and throw himself on the battered mattress in the side room unless there aren’t any witnesses around to judge or pity him. 

She fishes around in the bag at her side, then produces a white cardboard box. She hands it to him, saying, “Here.”

Philip accepts it. As far as he knows, the mission didn’t require him to have any new supplies. He asks, “What is it?”

“Open it.” 

He does. He lifts the lid off and eyes the contents, then reaches aside to set the lid on the nearest table. As he draws out the two items inside, Marcy explains, “Slippers. I can feel how cold this floor is even through my shoes.”

They’re not just slippers. They’re big, furry slippers dyed bright orange with triangular ears, button eyes, and an embroidered nose and mouth. It takes him a second to figure out what the animal’s supposed to be—a fox. 

They’re adorable but ridiculous. They look wildly comfortable. The concrete floor is absolutely cold, and it feels wrong to wear his shoes inside his own bedroom, but he didn’t have any other choice. The slippers will come in handy.

More than that, it says that Marcy’s thinking of him. _Someone_ out there cares how he’s doing. It’s a luxury he’s not entitled to but is immensely grateful to have. 

He actually feels choked up, more by the gesture than the gift itself. He tells her sincerely, “Thank you.”

Marcy smiles and pats his arm. Then she’s leaving like the rest of them, but Philip still gets to hold her friendship in his hands. 

As soon as the garage door closes, he climbs out of his shoes. He slides into the slippers and wiggles his toes. It makes the foxes look like they’re having a good time. 

Philip goes back to work, his feet pleasantly warm.


End file.
